Wednesday, August 26, 2009

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Review: PBS Kids "Dinosaur Train"

On September 7th, 2009, the new PBS Kids series Dinosaur Train (brought to us by the Jim Henson Company) will debut. Aimed towards children ages 3 to 6 years, this educational children's show, teaches our children all about various species of dinosaurs among other things.

Each 30 minute Dinosaur Train segment contains 2 episodes including time with real life paleontologists. Just as medical dramas have doctors on staff to help keep the writing realistic, this animated series about dinosaurs receives the same assistance from many sources, such as paleontologists and educators, who help ensure the quality of the content.

1) I like the general feeling of the theme music. It is reminiscent of an old western adventure.

2) In addition to the apparent educational value of learning about dinosaurs and practicing critical thinking, I like how Dinosaur Train presents the theme of adoption. For example, even though Buddy (the adopted T-Rex) did not have wings like his siblings, which allowed them to dive for fish, he was still able to contribute to the fishing by looking out for fish. They were so obviously a family in which each member had his or her place.

3) I heard my son laugh out loud many times while watching Dinosaur Train. He also enjoyed the songs and the rhymes.

4) My son could not choose one favorite character, but instead said that he liked all four siblings the best. His favorite scene to watch was the fishing lesson.

Please take a minute to watch this short Dinosaur Train trailer . . .

My son is very much looking forward to the Dinosaur Train series starting this fall. I think the appeal is that you never know what is to come when the family of dinosaurs hops on that train to start their next family adventure.

To learn more about the Dinosaur Train animated series, visit the Dinosaur Train website on PBS Kids, where you will find fun games, free printables, and many video clips. Check your local listings to see what time Dinosaur Train will be airing on your local PBS station on Monday, September 7th.

Thank you to PBS Kids for sending us a screener DVD to preview this television show.